I have been a proud contributor to my PBS station for 40+ years. In addition to everything else--news, music, cultural commentary--these stations are the emergency warning system for this entire rural state of Maine. Now more than ever, with NOAA compromised, we can't do without PBS. Support public broadcasting or lose both your connection to the world and your safety net.
Thank you for the PBS suggestions. We always need ideas.
Can you write something about tyrants in culture and arts? Wolf Hall is an example. It does not seem possible to watch Henry VIII and not think about Trump and his court.
Playhouses see this as a good time to focus on tyrants and instability. We’ll see two different productions of Winter’s Tale this year. We saw MacBeth last year. Saw the Madness of King George in Trump’s first term.
Where do we see tyrants rendered in our popular culture? Do we have to rely on plays and stories that focus on the times of kings?
Seems like a promising topic, one that someone could have fun with.
“Mr. Bates” is gripping and based on real events! Highly recommend. I am a big fan of”Passport” especially on nights when I need to clear my head of the day’s ghastly news. “Call the Midwife “ is good for this — combining soap operesque stories with credible bits showing the evolution of health issues.
I get my TV from an over-the-air antenna because the only station I watch is Rocky Mountain PBS. I have communicated with my Congressman, Joe Neguse, (am I lucky) that I want him to support NPR and PBS in any way he can. I’ve no doubt that he will. I have also sent the statement of support provided by PBS/NPR. Needless to say further, that I highly value CPB’s support of those stations!
Wolf Hall is an outstanding mini-series. Second season has finished. Watch season 1 first. Also, Mr. Bates is a terrific, albeit a “ horror” story, mini-series.
I've been a sustaining member of KQED in San Francisco for years. It's my go to streaming service for some of the best television productions ( too numerous to list). I no longer live in California but I still support KQED. I'm in the middle of the new Call the Midwife series right now, finished Marie Antoinette recently as well as a couple of British detective series. Good television.
Yes. I wonder if he believes in the power of the purse. It is Congress that decides to invest in public media.
And public media does get commercial sponsors. From the CPB website:
“Public media in the United States is an efficient public-private partnership that delivers a strong return on the taxpayers’ investment. For every public dollar provided, stations raise nearly seven dollars from donors, including state and local governments, universities, businesses, foundations and individual viewers and listeners, underscoring their value to the communities they serve.”
"Yes. I wonder if he believes in the power of the purse."
I do. I also believe that the government should not be subsidizing corporations, whether it is CPB, power generation, aviation, pharmaceuticals, banks, what have you. We are $35 trillion in debt, and DOGE has shown time and again that our hard-earned money is being spent in a wasteful manner in too many cases. Once both parties get their collective heads out of their butts and reduce our bloated spending then maybe we can revisit niceties like CPB.
I am not the original poster however I feel compelled to answer you.
For decades I have watched PBS shows and , when raising my children, I relied on shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s to teach them lessons in reading and arithmetic as well as neighborliness, kindness, curiosity.
Documentaries like those done by Ken Burns. Shows like All Creatures Great and Small are brilliantly done and can be viewed without commercial interruptions.
Commercial TV is a different kind of media and its purpose is principally to market stuff to us. This shows are developed to attract a large audience who would be susceptible to “ads”. Children’s programming with commercial sponsors has the goal to saturate our children with images of things which relate to the programs which they can then buy.
I guess there is a place for both. But we will sadly damage a valuable national asset if PBS is forced to sell out.
"Documentaries like those done by Ken Burns. Shows like All Creatures Great and Small are brilliantly done and can be viewed without commercial interruptions."
Documentary series used to be on network television as well. I distinctly remember "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" in the late 60s to mid 70s. Even with the commercials it was a great show.
"Commercial TV is a different kind of media and its purpose is principally to market stuff to us. This shows are developed to attract a large audience who would be susceptible to “ads”. Children’s programming with commercial sponsors has the goal to saturate our children with images of things which relate to the programs which they can then buy."
PBS has been very successful over the years but to suggest that it will collapse or somehow be sullied without taxpayer subsidies is just something I cannot accept. They may have to scale back operations and reduce the number of stations, particularly radio, and use those funds for the TV side of things. They can increase the number of local telethons to raise money and ask their generous donors for more funding. If I recall I have seen major corporations (Ford and Boeing (?)) given credit at the beginning of shows for funding a program without any commercials during the program.
I guess PBS is also threatened by shows on the Internet like Miss Rachel and others when it comes to teaching preschoolers. If they go to that model they will surely gain more income and leave the taxpayers alone.
I have been a proud contributor to my PBS station for 40+ years. In addition to everything else--news, music, cultural commentary--these stations are the emergency warning system for this entire rural state of Maine. Now more than ever, with NOAA compromised, we can't do without PBS. Support public broadcasting or lose both your connection to the world and your safety net.
Thank you for the PBS suggestions. We always need ideas.
Can you write something about tyrants in culture and arts? Wolf Hall is an example. It does not seem possible to watch Henry VIII and not think about Trump and his court.
Playhouses see this as a good time to focus on tyrants and instability. We’ll see two different productions of Winter’s Tale this year. We saw MacBeth last year. Saw the Madness of King George in Trump’s first term.
Where do we see tyrants rendered in our popular culture? Do we have to rely on plays and stories that focus on the times of kings?
Seems like a promising topic, one that someone could have fun with.
“Mr. Bates” is gripping and based on real events! Highly recommend. I am a big fan of”Passport” especially on nights when I need to clear my head of the day’s ghastly news. “Call the Midwife “ is good for this — combining soap operesque stories with credible bits showing the evolution of health issues.
I get my TV from an over-the-air antenna because the only station I watch is Rocky Mountain PBS. I have communicated with my Congressman, Joe Neguse, (am I lucky) that I want him to support NPR and PBS in any way he can. I’ve no doubt that he will. I have also sent the statement of support provided by PBS/NPR. Needless to say further, that I highly value CPB’s support of those stations!
Wolf Hall is an outstanding mini-series. Second season has finished. Watch season 1 first. Also, Mr. Bates is a terrific, albeit a “ horror” story, mini-series.
I've been a sustaining member of KQED in San Francisco for years. It's my go to streaming service for some of the best television productions ( too numerous to list). I no longer live in California but I still support KQED. I'm in the middle of the new Call the Midwife series right now, finished Marie Antoinette recently as well as a couple of British detective series. Good television.
"Last week, Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to halt funding to PBS and NPR."
It's about time. If their programming is really worth viewing, they will get commercial sponsors like everyone else.
An uninformed comment in so many ways.
Yes. I wonder if he believes in the power of the purse. It is Congress that decides to invest in public media.
And public media does get commercial sponsors. From the CPB website:
“Public media in the United States is an efficient public-private partnership that delivers a strong return on the taxpayers’ investment. For every public dollar provided, stations raise nearly seven dollars from donors, including state and local governments, universities, businesses, foundations and individual viewers and listeners, underscoring their value to the communities they serve.”
Thank you for your comment.
"Yes. I wonder if he believes in the power of the purse."
I do. I also believe that the government should not be subsidizing corporations, whether it is CPB, power generation, aviation, pharmaceuticals, banks, what have you. We are $35 trillion in debt, and DOGE has shown time and again that our hard-earned money is being spent in a wasteful manner in too many cases. Once both parties get their collective heads out of their butts and reduce our bloated spending then maybe we can revisit niceties like CPB.
"An uninformed comment in so many ways."
Says someone who can't bother to explain her own commentary...priceless.
Dear Hal,
I am not the original poster however I feel compelled to answer you.
For decades I have watched PBS shows and , when raising my children, I relied on shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s to teach them lessons in reading and arithmetic as well as neighborliness, kindness, curiosity.
Documentaries like those done by Ken Burns. Shows like All Creatures Great and Small are brilliantly done and can be viewed without commercial interruptions.
Commercial TV is a different kind of media and its purpose is principally to market stuff to us. This shows are developed to attract a large audience who would be susceptible to “ads”. Children’s programming with commercial sponsors has the goal to saturate our children with images of things which relate to the programs which they can then buy.
I guess there is a place for both. But we will sadly damage a valuable national asset if PBS is forced to sell out.
Hope you will think about it
"Documentaries like those done by Ken Burns. Shows like All Creatures Great and Small are brilliantly done and can be viewed without commercial interruptions."
Documentary series used to be on network television as well. I distinctly remember "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" in the late 60s to mid 70s. Even with the commercials it was a great show.
"Commercial TV is a different kind of media and its purpose is principally to market stuff to us. This shows are developed to attract a large audience who would be susceptible to “ads”. Children’s programming with commercial sponsors has the goal to saturate our children with images of things which relate to the programs which they can then buy."
PBS has been very successful over the years but to suggest that it will collapse or somehow be sullied without taxpayer subsidies is just something I cannot accept. They may have to scale back operations and reduce the number of stations, particularly radio, and use those funds for the TV side of things. They can increase the number of local telethons to raise money and ask their generous donors for more funding. If I recall I have seen major corporations (Ford and Boeing (?)) given credit at the beginning of shows for funding a program without any commercials during the program.
I guess PBS is also threatened by shows on the Internet like Miss Rachel and others when it comes to teaching preschoolers. If they go to that model they will surely gain more income and leave the taxpayers alone.